History
Note: For basic information, go to the profile. This section is more in-depth and I skipped the basics.
Childhood
Billy Lee Black was technically born in Solaris as Billy Lee Blanche to parents Jesiah and Racquel Blanche, who had just married (due to Racquel's pregnancy with Billy, no less!). This angered a certain man by the name of Isaac Stein, who had been Jessie's rival throughout school and also loved Racquel. Fast forward to 3 years later; Sigurd and Hyuga (Citan) occupy a room in the Blanche house and Billy becomes close to Sigurd. (Siggy!) In the meantime, Jessie had formed the Elements, along with Sigurd, Hyuga, and Ramsus. However, 3 years later Sigurd went to the surface to save Bart and Margie from the coup d'etat in Aveh, upsetting Billy.
A year after Sigurd's departure, Jessie was offered command of Gebler (which angered Stein to no end). I'm pretty sure he took the position at first, because I think this is how he found out about the M Plan and the true horrors going on in Solaris. Disgusted with his country's methods, he took his family to the surface and settled on a small island in the Aquvy area. The family also changed their last name to Black, which was derived from Joshua Black, who was an agent of Shevat, the country Jessie soon began working for. Primera was born 2 years later, when Billy was 9. This was the same year Billy learned to use a gun. Soon after, Jessie left his home (and family) for good, becoming a full-time spy for Shevat. This was a real blow to Billy, who missed his father a lot. He thought Jessie merely abandoned them, but what he didn't know was that he was actually part of a resistance against Solaris and was also trying to find more information about the M Plan.
"How old was I...? I don't remember. Maybe 8 or 9. About then, dad taught me how to use a gun.
One day dad disappeared.
He just ran out on us. He never came back. Even so, I stayed in his room alone often. Dad's gun, Dad's smell. Those things were all I had left to remind me of him."
Tragedy
In the year 9994, one year after Jessie left for Shevat, Joshua Black was killed. Jessie then assumed his fallen friend's identity, even down to his fingerprints. This included having his face surgically altered to look like Joshua's, which is why Billy claimed Jessie was not the father from his memory. For all intents and purposes, he had become a different person. One year passed uneventfully, until the day a group of Wels paid a visit to the Black house. They demanded information about Jessie's whereabouts, but Racquel refused to speak and was subsequently killed. Billy and Primera (12 and 3, respectively) could only watch from the shadows. Soon after, Bishop Stone, who was actually - you guessed it - Stein, showed up and "saved" them. In reality, he was the one who had instigated the attack. In the 2 years since, Billy developed a strong resentment toward his father for leaving him and his family. He also turned his house into an orphanage, vowing to not let any more kids turn out like Primera, who had been mute since the day of the attack. Then one day, out of the blue, Jessie returned to his house only to find his son practically hated him and idolized his bitter enemy.
"And he... had unexpectedly come back. But he was different. Some terrible accident changed him. Not only his looks, but his character and manner had completely changed too. I remember him as a quiet man... But... more than that, I thought maybe I didn't really remember him... That's why... I can never think of him as a father... But Prim needed a father, and she's become attached to him. Deep in my heart, I too thought I wanted a father. But... even now I just can't believe he is my real father."
Billy, convinced that Jessie was not his real father, became an Etone and the ideal tool for Stein's revenge.
Aftermath (Basically, this is Billy's "story" in the game.)
Billy is now 16, an Etone, and still mistrusting of his father (although Primera immediately became attached to him) when he meets up with the party on the Thames. Following the events on the transport ship, Billy returns to the Ethos headquarters, only to find that a group of assassins have attacked and killed everyone there. Proceeding further, the party discovers a room used to communicate with the Solaris home country, and the truth about the Ethos that Billy's father had been trying to warn him about (more info). Stone makes a brief appearance to affirm what the party just discovered, then escapes in the giant Gear, Alkanshel. The party then learns of a dig site nearby that the Ethos was investigating and decides to go there as well. This, of course, is the ruins of Zeboim, an ancient city, and the party finds Emeralda there. (At first I assumed Billy had to be in the party when this occured, but basically I just never tried to switch him out. In fact, the only party member required to be there is Citan, but it's much more interesting if you bring Billy and Elly along.) Stone appears once again and escapes with Emeralda, but he won't be able to gloat for too long...
Stone (agh! he has no skin on his face!), being sent to observe the Yggdrasil, is suddenly confronted by Grahf, who entices him with the promise of great power. Stone accepts, and driven mad by the power flowing through him, attacks the Yggdrasil. Billy and (insert people here) go out to confront him...
"Ha...son of Jesiah, are you suffering? When I took you in 4 years ago, that was proof of my old friendship with your father... In that hate stained friendship with Jesiah, we competed for command of Gebler! Jesiah, like a beast, you stole the Racquel I loved, and threw away the command of Gebler that I wanted so much, then disappeared from Solaris!
4 years ago... After searching to the ends of the earth, no trace of him could be found. Racquel, dirtied by him... and the remainder of that taint... you and your sister... Through Krelian's wisdom, using the Wels, I saved Racquel from misery...
Yes, Billy, let me tell you something good... Those Reapers that you have been purging are really all people... They were chosen by the 'Ethos' and converted by Krelian! You've been slaughtering people! Ha ha ha... A wretched son for a wretched father! Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha, confess to me! Pay for your sins!"
Jessie, in a Buntline Gear, helps Billy defeat Stone, but Billy learns all too late that the Gear Jessie used uses the pilot as the bullet, and Jessie is presumed dead. However, Jessie had actually modified the Gear so that he didn't die, and returns to the scene just in time to watch Billy say his goodbyes. Primera speaks for the first time in 4 years after that event, and although Billy is troubled because she only calls out for her father and not him, he still pretty much comes to terms with everything and forgives Jessie.
Other Info
While wandering around in Solaris, you might come across a room with holograms of all your party members and information about them. This is what it says about Billy:
Minister #321658-11
Ether Alignment: 290
Anima Alignment: 92
Comments: Schedule for Animus adjustment
If you didn't know already by the time you got to that point, this basically proves he was born in Solaris as a first-class citizen. (Only Elly and Billy are classified as Minister, which refers to first-class citizens of Solaris.)
« info
|
